Parents Sign Petition to Block Return of Teen in Molestation Case

CAMARILLO —  Parents began signing petitions this week to request that a teenager accused of sexually assaulting two girls from Camarillo Heights Elementary School not be allowed to return to the neighborhood.

They suggest the 15-year-old suspect, who is in custody at a Ventura County juvenile facility awaiting a hearing Tuesday on both incidents, be placed in a facility that provides intensive counseling for sexual offenders.

“This minor is a threat . . . and should not be placed on probation, especially back on our streets,” states the petition that parents plan to submit to the district attorney’s office and the judge handling the case.

The girl’s mother could not be reached for comment Friday. Tenants at the residence near the school said she recently moved.

The teen had been enrolled at the school the day before the first incident, April 1, 1997. She was asked to leave when the principal determined she was too old for elementary school.

The teenager is suspected of posing as a kindergarten classroom aide the following day and then molesting a 5-year-old girl in a school restroom and again behind a puppet theater in her classroom, police said.

While on informal probation after that incident, police say, the teenager was arrested on suspicion of molesting a 9-year-old girl at her home March 10.

“I want to see her being treated and put away for a very, very long time,” said Marietta Powell, whose daughter attended the same kindergarten class as the first girl.

Notification should be provided to neighbors wherever the teenager lives, Powell said.

“I just want her out of our neighborhood,” she said. “There are children wandering around out there before and after school.”

The mother of the first victim, who pulled her daughter out of the school and then filed a lawsuit accusing the Pleasant Valley School District of negligence, said this week has been particularly stressful for her as she and her daughter await the hearing.

“I’m reliving what happened and feeling the pain of the other family,” she said. “I wish I knew who they were, because I would love to talk with the other mother just to comfort her, give her support.”

Her now 6-year-old daughter, who has been in therapy since the incident, received special counseling this week to familiarize her with courtroom procedures.

“The poor thing, she is so nervous,” the mother said. “I hope she’ll be able to hold up. . . .”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Miles Weiss said he is prohibited by court order from discussing the case.

Meanwhile, school officials have taken several steps to beef up security at the campus, including rearranging the front office area to help monitor people entering the campus. They have also locked one entrance to allow teachers to better supervise the school’s playground area.

Principal Don Hart notified parents in a weekly bulletin about the petition and where they could sign it. Additionally, staff members have been shown a picture of the teenager and have been directed to notify authorities in the event she is sighted.

Shortly after spring break, officials will also have volunteers call the parents of absent children to verify the absence.

Although initially outraged because they first learned of the alleged incidents from news accounts, rather than from school officials, several parents said they are pleased with the school’s actions.

“I’m satisfied with the school’s response,” said Kimberly Davis, mother of a fourth-grade girl. “Had we stayed ignorant, I don’t think anything would have happened. But since it was brought out through the articles, I think they have dealt with it appropriately.”